This blog is an exploration of principled problem solving which is an initiative at Guilford College encouraging a focus of people's abilities and experiences toward solving real-world problems under the guidance of the college’s core values of community, diversity, equality, excellence, integrity, justice and stewardship.

02/06/2014

Incorporating Change by Francesca Benedetto

While I can’t say that I had any specific goal for this class, I surely did not join for the environmental aspect. I think we should all recycle what we can to divert waste from landfills. I think we should turn off lights and air-conditioning when they are unnecessary to save electricity. There are a few more simple steps I was already aware of, but the point is, I’m still missing so much! While I put most of my passion into the areas of education and incarceration, I was blown away by other’s passion for the environment.

First in my journey to look for positive change and sustainability came my class mates. As we were all sharing what we wanted to focus on in the class, I got a glimpse of how and why my classmates feel strongly about what they do. It’s great to have a well rounded class where everyone is driven, but by very different motivators. We can all learn from each other and I am lucky enough to land in a class with bright, kind, and intelligent people who are also taking the initiative to make change.

Second, we went down the road to Recommunity recycle where we met Yvonne Foust. Ms. Foust is a fun person to be around as well as an example of change in her own way. I think she probably does a great job teaching young kids about recycling simply because she is an engaging character. For older students and adults learning about recycling, Ms. Foust is very relatable. Recalling how she came into the position at Recommunity, she said that she wasn’t a huge environmentalist and still is not. However, she said that her career taught her the importance of making small changes to help the planet. It is in her simple approach to making a difference that Ms. Foust is a unique example of change in our community.

This picture was taken at the Recommunity recycling plant where Yvonne Foust emphasizes “each one teach one” and the importance of making small changes to do your part.

The third step in our journey was a tour with sustainability coordinator at Guilford, Bronwyn Corry. Ms. Corry is one of many figures of positive change here on our campus. I was not born with a ‘sustainable mindset’ but Ms. Corry helped me understand how I can integrate sustainability into my life when she related it “to having a mindset of practicality, resourcefulness and active consideration” - all of which are qualities I value. I gained a better appreciation of all that Guilford does to be environmentally conscious. I was also inspired by some of the student based eco-movements on our campus.

So far, the last stop for sustainability on our tour was TS Designs. This is a sustainable screen printing company based right here in North Carolina. While I found their work to be interesting, I was more curious about the employees who make up the company. In addition to running a screen printing company the team manages a garden and chickens! This was one of the ways they use to reduce the “green elite” (or expensive sustainability). Our tour guide is another great example of change in NC. As a religious man, he expressed his belief that environmentalism is connected to all faiths, so each individual simply needs to find their niche and why they care about a particular issue. When asked how to create a path towards change he replied “It has to make sense. You have to personalize it, make it your story”.

As I have been inspired by the faces of positive change I have noticed some commonalities. The figures that have had an impact on me in the past couple days are passionate about what they do, motivated, ready to persevere and excited to share their knowledge. They are working on separate projects but they all see a more practical (sustainable) way for each of us to live and are eager to do their part while encouraging others to do the same. Going out to meet people is a great way to get inspired, but you can also start here with simple steps that any environmentalist would be proud of!

Comments

Incorporating Change by Francesca Benedetto

While I can’t say that I had any specific goal for this class, I surely did not join for the environmental aspect. I think we should all recycle what we can to divert waste from landfills. I think we should turn off lights and air-conditioning when they are unnecessary to save electricity. There are a few more simple steps I was already aware of, but the point is, I’m still missing so much! While I put most of my passion into the areas of education and incarceration, I was blown away by other’s passion for the environment.

First in my journey to look for positive change and sustainability came my class mates. As we were all sharing what we wanted to focus on in the class, I got a glimpse of how and why my classmates feel strongly about what they do. It’s great to have a well rounded class where everyone is driven, but by very different motivators. We can all learn from each other and I am lucky enough to land in a class with bright, kind, and intelligent people who are also taking the initiative to make change.

Second, we went down the road to Recommunity recycle where we met Yvonne Foust. Ms. Foust is a fun person to be around as well as an example of change in her own way. I think she probably does a great job teaching young kids about recycling simply because she is an engaging character. For older students and adults learning about recycling, Ms. Foust is very relatable. Recalling how she came into the position at Recommunity, she said that she wasn’t a huge environmentalist and still is not. However, she said that her career taught her the importance of making small changes to help the planet. It is in her simple approach to making a difference that Ms. Foust is a unique example of change in our community.

This picture was taken at the Recommunity recycling plant where Yvonne Foust emphasizes “each one teach one” and the importance of making small changes to do your part.

The third step in our journey was a tour with sustainability coordinator at Guilford, Bronwyn Corry. Ms. Corry is one of many figures of positive change here on our campus. I was not born with a ‘sustainable mindset’ but Ms. Corry helped me understand how I can integrate sustainability into my life when she related it “to having a mindset of practicality, resourcefulness and active consideration” - all of which are qualities I value. I gained a better appreciation of all that Guilford does to be environmentally conscious. I was also inspired by some of the student based eco-movements on our campus.

So far, the last stop for sustainability on our tour was TS Designs. This is a sustainable screen printing company based right here in North Carolina. While I found their work to be interesting, I was more curious about the employees who make up the company. In addition to running a screen printing company the team manages a garden and chickens! This was one of the ways they use to reduce the “green elite” (or expensive sustainability). Our tour guide is another great example of change in NC. As a religious man, he expressed his belief that environmentalism is connected to all faiths, so each individual simply needs to find their niche and why they care about a particular issue. When asked how to create a path towards change he replied “It has to make sense. You have to personalize it, make it your story”.

As I have been inspired by the faces of positive change I have noticed some commonalities. The figures that have had an impact on me in the past couple days are passionate about what they do, motivated, ready to persevere and excited to share their knowledge. They are working on separate projects but they all see a more practical (sustainable) way for each of us to live and are eager to do their part while encouraging others to do the same. Going out to meet people is a great way to get inspired, but you can also start here with simple steps that any environmentalist would be proud of!